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A's dip into high schools to open Day 2

A's dip into high schools to open Day 2

By Alex Espinoza
/
MLB.com |

OAKLAND -- In a departure from their recent Draft strategy, the Oakland A's on Tuesday selected four high school players to start Day 2 of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.

Headlining the picks was second-round selection Yordy Cabrera, drafted No. 60 overall. Cabrera, 19, was a shortstop at Lakeland Senior High School in Florida who projects to be a third baseman or a corner outfielder in the professional ranks.

"Every year I've been here, we've always liked high school players," A's director of scouting Eric Kubota said. "It's just worked out that that's the way the board has fallen. This year, the board fell the other direction."

Cabrera bats right-handed and committed to the University of Miami before getting drafted. Listed at 6-feet-4, 190 pounds, Cabrera possesses a power bat and strong arm. Aside from his impressive physical tools, Cabrera features above average speed and good defensive range.

"Cabrera was a guy -- for much of the year -- that we scouted with the thought that he might be the 10th pick in the country, or at least under consideration," Kubota said. "We certainly thought he was a first-round talent."

Cabrera totaled a .424 average with eight home runs and 35 RBIs in his senior season at Lakeland, a school that has produced 28 MLB Draft picks and one Major Leaguer -- Pittsburgh first baseman Steve Pearce.

Chris Sale, the southpaw taken No. 13 overall by the White Sox on Monday, also attended Lakeland before heading to Florida Gulf Coast University. Lakeland catcher Eric Arce was taken by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 27th round.

Cabrera made a name for himself at the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic in San Diego last year, where he won the Home Run Derby by hitting five home runs in the final round at PETCO Park.

It was the earliest Oakland had drafted a high school player since it took catcher Max Stassi in the fourth round of the 2009 Draft. Trevor Cahill, drafted in the 2006 and now a starter in Oakland's rotation, was the last high school player the A's selected in the second round.

The A's hadn't selected four high schoolers by the fifth round since 2005, a group that included current Oakland pitcher Vin Mazzaro.

Oakland selected 14 consecutive college players in rounds 6-19, starting with University of Kansas third baseman Tony Thompson.

Round 2, Yondy Cabrera, 3B, Lakeland (Fla.) High School: Cabrera has a powerful bat and was a shortstop in high school. He hit .424 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs during his senior season and won the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic Home Run Derby last year.

Round 3, Aaron Shipman, CF, Brooks County High School, Quitman, Ga.: Shipman is a raw talent who also pitches, but figures to be an outfielder at the next level. Shipman, listed at 6-foot, 174 pounds, looks like a project player with a high ceiling who will have to improve his mechanics in the batter's box, as his swing under utilizes his lower half.

Round 4, Chad Lewis, 3B, Marina High School, Huntington Beach, Calif.: Listed at 6-3, 200 pounds, Lewis is a big, slugging third baseman whose greatest attribute is his power bat. Lewis also has the defensive tools to stay at third base and has shown a penchant for producing in high school showcases.

Round 5, Tyler Vail, RHP, Notre Dame High School, Easton, Pa.: Vail, a University of Maryland recruit, also played second base in high school. Vail is listed at 6-foot, 180 pounds and possesses a fastball that tops out in the low 90s.

Round 6, Tony Thompson, 3B, University of Kansas: Thompson, listed at 6-4, 220 pounds, recently finished his junior season at Kansas. After missing 19 games due to a broken kneecap, he batted .338 with six home runs and 38 RBIs in 40 contests, with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 29-17.

Round 7, Jordan Tripp, CF, Golden West College: In 2010, Tripp batted .352 with eight homers and 31 RBIs for Golden West College, a two-year school in Huntington Beach, Calif. Listed at 6-4, 215 pounds, he also drew 31 walks in 38 games and stole 19 bases in 22 attempts.

Round 8, Blake Hassebrock, RHP, UNC-Greensboro: According to Baseball America, A's area scout Neil Avent once was an assistant coach at UNC-Greensboro. Hassebrock is a 6-5 right-hander with a power arm. He went 0-7 with a 7.15 ERA in 21 appearances (11 starts) in 2010. In 73 innings, he allowed 91 hits and 44 walks while striking out 61.

Round 9, A.J. Kirby-Jones, 1B, Tennessee Tech: Kirby-Jones hit 26 home runs -- tied for second most in NCAA Division I -- in 56 games this season. His 58 walks were sixth best in the country, and he batted .388 with 71 RBIs.

Round 10, Joshua Bowman, RHP, University of Tampa: Bowman went 8-5 with a 3.92 ERA as a starter. He struck out 85 batters in 85 innings, allowing 95 hits and 21 walks.

Round 11, Wade Kirkland, SS, Florida Southern College: Kirkland batted .329 with 12 home runs and 58 for FSC, a small four-year school in Lakeland, Fla. He committed 25 errors in 57 games and had 14 steals in 16 attempts.

Round 12, Matt Thomson, RHP, University of San Diego: The 6-4 Thomson went 1-3 with a 3.38 ERA in 27 appearances (one start) in 2010. He recorded seven saves, striking out 56 while walking 13 in 42 2/3 innings of work.

Round 13, AJ Griffin, RHP, University of San Diego: Griffin, listed at 6-5, began his college career as a closer but became a starter midway through his junior year in 2009. This season, he went 8-3 with a 4.47 ERA. He struck out 113 batters and walked 28 in 98 2/3 innings.

Round 14, JC Menna, RHP, Brookdale Community College: Menna, 21, this season went 6-3 with a 1.53 ERA for Brookdale, located in Lincroft, N.J. He allowed 32 hits and 16 walks in 59 innings, while striking out 64.

Round 15, Scott Woodward, 3B, Coastal Carolina University: Woodward is a left-handed-hitting third baseman who has major speed. He stole 54 bases in 61 attempts over 62 games this season, batting .330 with five home runs and 35 RBIs. He walked 47 times, raising his on-base percentage to .500, while striking out 48 times in 2010.

Round 16, Ryan Hughes, LHP, University of Nebraska: Hughes is a 6-6 southpaw drafted on potential. He threw 10 innings in 10 appearances this season, issuing 11 walks while striking out six. Hughes was picked by Arizona in the 16th round of the 2008 Draft.

Round 17, Drew Tyson, RHP, Reinhardt University: In 16 appearances this season, Tyson went 5-2 with a save and a 5.19 ERA in 52 innings. Reinhardt University, part of the NAIA, was renamed from Reinhardt College on June 1 and is located in Waleska, Ga.

Round 19, Logan Chitwood, RHP, University of Texas-Tyler: Chitwood made 23 relief appearances in 2010, going 5-2 with a 3.12 ERA. In 34 2/3 innings of action, he struck out 53 batters while allowing 30 hits and eight walks.

Round 20, Eric Ramsey, CF, Chattooga High School, Summerville, Ga.: Georgia high school baseball is proving to be a fertile development ground for the 2010 MLB Draft. Oakland jumped on the bandwagon by picking Ramsey, a 6-foot, 175-pound outfielder.

Round 21, Michael Anarumo, LHP, Le Moyne College: Anarumo is a lanky 6-foot-4 reliever who made 11 appearances, going 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA. Over 11 innings, he struck out 11 while allowing 11 hits and five walks.

Round 22, Michael Strong, LHP, Oklahoma State University: Strong is a 6-foot right-hander who appeared in 16 games (11 starts) this season. He went 4-3 with a 4.48 ERA, allowing 61 hits and 36 walks in 64 1/3 innings, while striking out 66.

Round 23, Zachary Thornton, RHP, University of Oregon: In 17 appearances (12 starts), the 6-foot-4 Thornton went 9-0 with a 3.40 ERA this season. He struck out 73 while allowing 92 hits and 16 walks over 90 innings.

Round 24, Ryan Lipkin, C, University of San Francisco: The A's went local with their 24th round pick, as Lipkin is from nearby Vacaville. Lipkin led USF with his .313 average, while hitting seven home runs and driving 37 RBIs. The A's drafted Lipkin in the 43rd round of the 2009 Draft.

Round 25, John Whitaker, 3B, Kennesaw State University: Whitaker batted .336 with six home runs and 31 RBIs this season for the Owls, who compete in the Division I Atlantic Sun Conference.

Round 27, Seth Frankoff, RHP, UNC-Wilmington: Frankoff is a 6-foot-5 righty who moved to the bullpen in 2010. He went 5-1 with a 4.95 ERA in 26 appearances, striking out 68 in 56 1/3 innings, while allowing 54 hits and 27 walks.

Round 28, Ryan Pineda, 2B, Cal State Northridge: Pineda is a power-hitting middle infielder who hit .316 with 16 home runs and 66 RBIs in 2010. He struck out 50 times and walked 18 times.

Round 29, Zachary Hurley, RF, Ohio State: Hurley led the Buckeyes with his .385 batting average while totaling seven home runs and 39 RBIs. Hurley was drafted by Florida in the 45th round of the 2009 Draft.

Round 30, Jeff Urlaub, LHP, Grand Canyon University: Urlaub is a 6-foot-2 lefty who played at UNLV and Arizona State before ending up at GCU. The Marlins picked Urlaub in the 47th round of the 2008 Draft.

Alex Espinoza is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.